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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27633304">Ribs</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightLeadingMe/pseuds/LightLeadingMe'>LightLeadingMe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Mindy Project</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Best Friends, F/M, Feelings, Friendship/Love, Male-Female Friendship, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 18:01:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,783</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27633304</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightLeadingMe/pseuds/LightLeadingMe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Mindy and Casey have broken up and Danny suddenly becomes the most important man in her life. Through months of heartbreak, sleepovers, and an array of feelings, they find themselves becoming more than each other's best friend. </p>
<p>AU only after Magic Morgan.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Danny Castellano/Mindy Lahiri, Mindy Lahiri/Jeremy Reed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. A Fresh Start</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>this literally spawned from tiny drabble I wrote and through the imagery of Danny and Mindy sharing a bed together platonically. </p>
<p>enjoy!!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mindy was nursing a glass of wine and mindlessly flipping channels when knocking sounded on her door. She had just gotten home twenty minutes prior, dropped off by Morgan after their 'date', so she was annoyed she had to get up again after finding a comfortable position on the couch. With a confused frown, she set her wine glass on the coffee table and stood up, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she opened the door.</p><p>"Hey," Danny greeted, his shoulder leaning against the frame.</p><p>"Hey," she smiled at him. "What are you doing here?"</p><p>Danny stepped into the apartment, shrugging his jacket off his shoulders. "I wanted to make sure you were okay after your date with Morgan."</p><p>Mindy watched him set his jacket on the stool in her kitchen and then grab a glass to fill up with wine for himself. "You mean the date you forced me to go on?"</p><p>At least he looked guilty. "I never really wanted you to do that, you know, but it's your own fault."</p><p>"<em>My</em> fault?" she exclaimed, pointing to her chest as she stepped towards him.</p><p>"You sexually harrassed him, Min!"</p><p>"I was clearly an emotional wreck after breaking up with my fiance. I didn't mean anything by it!"</p><p>"And yet, there are legal documents we had to sign and a lawsuit we barely avoided."</p><p>With her eyes narrowed into menacing slits, she crossed her arms over her chest, pulling the blanket tighter around her shoulders. "Did you just come here to berate me and drink my wine?"</p><p>Danny smiled, taking a sip of said wine and then walked over to the couch, plopping down in her spot. "What you been watching?"</p><p>Mindy sighed, sitting down next to him and snatching the remote that he picked up off the pillow. "I was finding a movie to watch, but nothing good is on."</p><p>"We could watch-"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"You don't even know what I was going to say!"</p><p>"It was probably a documentary or a show about deep sea fishing, so no." He was quiet after that and she smirked, knowing she hit it right on the nose. "Here, we'll watch Real Housewives. You like this show."</p><p>"I don't mind watching it with you, no."</p><p>She glanced at him, seeing the easy smile on his lips disappear behind the rim of the wine glass.</p><hr/><p>Mindy woke up the next morning extremely relaxed, but also to a tingling sharp pain in her thigh. She felt the rise and fall of Danny's chest beneath her hand and could smell the spicy scent of his cologne from where her nose was buried between his neck and collarbone. She noted that one of her legs was trapped between Danny's. The other, the one that was dead asleep, was slightly under him and stuck between his body and the back of the couch. She sighed, slowly smoothing her hand down his chest to his tight abdomen and then back again, trying to wake him gently.</p><p>Danny shifted beneath her and smacked his lips as he was pulled from his slumber. He winced, feeling the tightness in the back of his neck and opened his eyes. The ceiling of Mindy's apartment greeted him then the sensation of her hand resting on his stomach awakened him. </p><p>"What time is it?" he grumbled, his voice deep and thick with sleep. </p><p>Mindy sighed with relief that he didn't address the fact that they slept snuggled up on her couch all night and then hummed, her face still in his neck. "I dunno."</p><p>Danny smiled and ran the hand that was on her lower back up and down a few times before he unraveled himself from her embrace. She groaned in annoyance, her eyes popping open to see him looking for his phone on the floor. When he found it, he stood from the couch and stretched, a yawn falling from his lips. "It's 6:30."</p><p>Mindy grunted and curled her body up, feeling cold without his body beside hers. "I have another hour before my alarm goes off, Danny."</p><p>Danny looked down at her trying to fall back asleep and impulsively smacked his hand down on her rear end, a resounding <em>slap!</em> echoing in the the apartment followed by a shout from Mindy. "Wake up, sleepy head. I'll make you breakfast."</p><p>"Danny!" She sat up and tossed a pillow at him which he easily dodged. "What the hell, dude? You drink my wine, crash on my couch, and then you have the nerve to force me awake an hour before I need to be?"</p><p>Danny wasn't bothered and just ignored her, searching her fridge and cabinets for food. "Min, how do you not have any food in your house? I can't make breakfast out of sour straws, week old chinese food, and..." He paused, pulling an item out of her fridge. "Nail polish? Why is this in your refrigerator?"</p><p>"It helps the color last longer!" she told him as she limped over, her leg now stabbing pins and needles as the blood rushed through it. "If you really wanna be nice you could run down and get me a bear claw and a cup of coffee from the guy on the corner."</p><p>"That shit will kill you one day, Min."</p><p>"Well, I ain't dead yet. So far so good." She grabbed a few dollars out of her purse on the counter and shoved them in his palm. "Please, Danny? I'm sad." She pouted at him, her eyes large and pleading. </p><p>Shaking his head, Danny pocketed the money and grabbed his jacket. "This is the first and only time I will willingly contribute to your poor food habits, Lahiri." He rolled his eyes when she clapped her hands together happily. "And it is purely out of pity, just so you know."</p><p>She held her hands under her chin and looked up to the ceiling, pondering his words before she nodded. "I can live with that."</p><p>When Danny returned ten minutes later, Mindy was exiting the bathroom, a towel on her head and a pink silk robe on her body. "You can shower here if you want. Unless you think people at work will noticed you wearing the same clothes as yesterday. Not that they would. You wear the same three shirts and I swear you own one pair of jeans."</p><p>Danny held the bag holding her bear claw up as well as the drink carrier with their coffees. "So should I just go ahead and toss these in the trash or are you going to leave my clothes alone?"</p><p>Mindy' eyes widened and she snatched the bag from him, holding it tight to her chest. "Sorry! I love this blue on you; very handsome."</p><p>He chuckled and set the coffees down on the counter, picking his up and taking a sip. "I'm just gonna head home and get ready for work there. Sorry I fell asleep here last night."</p><p>Mindy shrugged, shoving a bite of bear claw in her mouth. "It's fine," she said around a mouthful of the sugary treat. "It was nice having someone here again." </p><p>The words hung in the air for a few awkward moments and Mindy felt the sting of tears behind her eyes. She swallowed hard and turned away from Danny, busying herself by taking the lid off the steaming coffee to let it cool down faster. </p><p>"I really am sorry about Casey, Min," Danny said gently. "I know how it feels to think you're not enough for someone."</p><p>She looked at him again, seeing the hurt behind his eyes and felt her heart break slightly for him. She could kill Christina, the blonde hussy. Clearing her throat, Mindy looked down at her coffee. "Thanks, Danny. That means a lot."</p><p>He nodded and checked his phone again for the time. "I should probably head out," he said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder towards the door. "I'll see you at work?"</p><p>Mindy smiled, regarding him for a moment before she stepped over and leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "See you at work."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Falling Apart To Half Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mindy found herself feeling better and better as the days went on. She was joking around with her coworkers, delivering babies left and right, and hanging out with Danny a lot. She didn't know how or when it happened, but after he fell asleep on her couch, they developed an unspoken bond and had been practically attached at the hip for the past week. She smiled as she thought of her improved friendship with the grumpy man, happy that she had someone in her life again that didn't mind listening to all her problems, even if he was a judgemental jerk sometimes. </p><p>"Dr. L," Betsy knocked on her cracked office door before peeking her head in. "Mrs. Sutton cancelled her appointment."</p><p>Mindy eyes lit up and she grinned. "Thanks, Bets! Can you ask Dr. Castellano to come here when you see him?"</p><p>The young receptionist nodded and then disappeared from the doorway. Not two minutes after she left, Danny was walking into her office, closing the door behind him.</p><p>"Danny!" she exclaimed, leaning back in her chair. "What do you want for lunch?"</p><p>Danny looked at her, raising his eyebrow. "It's 10:30 in the morning." He sat in the chair across from her and ignored her eye roll.</p><p>"Come on, Danny! My appointment cancelled on me so I'm free until one. We should go to lunch!"</p><p>"For three hours?"</p><p>"Yes!" she exclaimed in excitement. "I need to get out of this office and go somewhere other than the hospital or my bed."</p><p>He thought about it for a minute, his lips slightly pursed. "Well, how about we grab a slice at Tony's? I know how much you love ther tiramisu."</p><p>Mindy moaned, thinking about the delicious desert from the pizza place Danny's friend owned. "God, yes. Please. Let's go!" She hopped out of her desk and yanked her purse off the chair in the corner of the office. "Up, Castellano! You're buying!"</p><p>Danny stood, a frown firmly placed on his lips as he followed her out the door. "How am I paying? You asked where I wanted to go!"</p><p>"Yeah, but I knew you'd pick Tony's."</p><p>"That still doesn't explain why I'm paying!"</p><hr/><p>"Mmm, my God, this is so good," Mindy moaned around a bite of tiramisu. </p><p>"Okay, calm down, Meg Ryan."</p><p>Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Holy shit, Danny. Did you just reference When Harry Met Sally?"</p><p>He shrugged, swirling his straw in his glass of ice water and avoided the question. "You've been making pornographic sounds all throughout our meal. Tony's wife and daughter are right over there. I don't want to get banned from this place, Min. Tony and I go way back-"</p><p>"Okay, okay!" She held up her hand to get him to stop ranting. "God, I think <em>you</em> need to calm down. Sorry if I can't help how good this tastes. Ever since Casey and I split I've been incredibly horny and food is the only thing that's keeping me from humping the next good looking guy who dares glancing my way."</p><p>Danny spat water across the table, spraying Mindy and her dessert. He coughed, waving a dismissive hand at the other patrons that were staring on in wonderment. </p><p>"What the hell!" Mindy cried, wiping her napkin over her face.</p><p>"Jesus, Min!" Danny hissed, choking slightly on the ice lodged in his throat. </p><p>"Well, it's true!" After another glare from Danny, she leaned forward and lowered her voice. "I'm an extremely sexual person, Danny. I've gots to have it. And Casey knew just how to give it to me... But now he's gone and all I have is food!" She shoved another huge bite of cake into her mouth, forgetting about the fact that Danny spat all over it, and moaned again.</p><p>"Maybe you should try other alternatives," Danny suggested, crossing his arms and leaning back in his chair.</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>"Come with me to the gym."</p><p>Mindy snorted, dropping her fork to her now empty plate. "Ha! That's funny, Danny."</p><p>"I'm serious. Working out is a great way to relieve sexual frustration. And it's better than eating the crap you do."</p><p>"Orgasms relieve sexual frustration," she told him, but then bit her bottom lip and considered it for a moment. She always said she was going to get herself in shape. And Danny was right - from a medical standpoint, she knew exercise really helped when it came to pent up emotions. "Alright, fine. But we are not working out in the morning, psycho. We can go after work."</p><p>Danny smile, triumphant. "Deal."</p><hr/><p>As it turned out, working out did very little to relieve the tension coiling between Mindy's legs. Granted, she had only worked out twice with Danny, but if anything the vigorous activity only amplified her desire to get laid. It didn't help that Danny had a smoking hot body and looked incredible sexy when he was sweaty and panting. She knew she must really be desperate if she was starting to look at Daniel Castellano like he was her favorite food, so she did the only logical thing she could think of...</p><p>"So, this is weird, right?"<br/><br/>"Well, it's not natural."<br/><br/>"Alright, buddy. What we just did is perfectly natural. But it was weird."<br/><br/>"I find it quite difficult to be having this conversation whilst I'm still inside you."<br/><br/>"Oh, yeah. Sorry. Let me just- there."<br/><br/>She was back on her feet, her skirt still bunched at her hips and her eyes searching for her thong. Jeremy tucked himself back in his pants and then stood from the office chair, running a hand through his hair absently.<br/><br/>"Where the fuck is my underwear?"<br/><br/>They both started looking around the office when they heard a shout from Danny outside the door.<br/><br/>"Why the hell is there a thong out here?!"<br/><br/>Mindy barely managed to push her skirt back down her thighs before the door was yanked open by Danny.<br/><br/>"Mindy, why..." He stopped, thong held nimbly between his thumb and pointer finger, and took in Jeremy and Mindy's unkempt states of appearance.<br/><br/>"Danny, it's not- its not what it looks like," Mindy said quickly. But it was. It was exactly what it looked like. She could feel the dull ache between her thighs and the stubble burn on her face.<br/><br/>"Let's be adults about this," Jeremy said calmly, expecting an outburst.<br/><br/>"Jeremy was just letting me relieve stress!" Mindy explained. "You know I've been horny and I just needed a good fuck and Jeremy was <em>there</em>-"<br/><br/>"Well, that's slightly offensive. I feel a bit used now..." Jeremy mumbled as Mindy continued on.<br/><br/>"And it was just a little bit of fun, Danny! That's it!" <em>Why was she vehemently explaining herself to him</em>?<br/><br/>After a moment of silence, Danny sighed and tossed her underwear on the desk. "Just next time be professionals and do it in the privacy of your own homes."<br/><br/>And with that he walked out, closing the door behind him. Mindy glared at the door, her mood shifting from nervous and embarrassed to pissed off. How could he be so calm? Usually he was more than ready to fly off the handle at her, but now suddenly he's cool, calm, collected Danny?<br/><br/>"I think that went rather well."<br/><br/>"Oh, shut up, Jeremy!"<br/><br/>Thirty minutes later, she was banging loudly at Danny's door. There was a draft in the hallway and she shifted uncomfortably, her panties shoved in her purse and her thigh muscles tense from the ride she took on Jeremy's lap. She forgot the lazy bastard always made her do all the work.<br/><br/>"Danny, open up!" she called, knocking again three more times.<br/><br/>Danny yanked open the door and frowned at her. "What do you want, Min?"<br/><br/>What <em>did</em> she want? After Danny left her office earlier, she threw a few choices words at Jeremy about how they were not becoming bedroom buddies again and then stormed off in a huff. And for what? The lack of a reaction from her best friend?<br/><br/>"Why aren't you upset?" she blurted out, pushing past him as she entered the apartment.<br/><br/>"What?" He closed the door and turned to face her as she threw her purse on the couch.<br/><br/>"You," she pointed at him. "You walked in on me and Jeremy practically in <em>flaguente de hannibal lector</em> and for once you don't give me a twenty minute lecture? What the fuck, Danny?"<br/><br/>"Okay, so many things were wrong with that sentence." At her glare he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "What do you want me to say, Min? You're an adult. You made an adult decision to sleep with Jeremy."<br/><br/>"And you're completely fine with that?"<br/><br/>"Well, no, but what right do I have to judge you?"<br/><br/>She gawked at him, completely baffled. "Are you serious, Danny? You've done nothing but judge and comment about my sex life for years! And now you choose to be quiet?"<br/><br/>"Min, I really don't want to get into this."<br/><br/>"Well, too bad, buddy. The train has already left the station and you're in for a long fucking ride." She stared at him, her hands on her hips and her hair a tangled mess at her shoulders. "How dare you?"<br/><br/>"Why are you so pissed at me?" Danny exclaimed.<br/><br/>"Because you're acting like you don't care and for once I want you to care!" she screamed, the words echoing off the walls. "I dumped my fiance because all I did when I was with him was change myself. I changed <em>for him</em> and not for me." She didn't know when she started crying, but the tears were coming hard and fast, her words stumbling out choked and breathy. "And even though you judged or made comments or told me what you think guys like from a woman, you never once asked me to change. You accepted me for me and no one has ever done that before."</p><p>Everything she had been holding in since her breakup started just spilling out and she wasn't even sure she was making sense anymore. She took a deep breath, trying to calm down. "I am falling apart here, Danny. I'm literally unraveling and when I cry out for your help - for the first time since I've known you, you ignore me? I need you to talk to me! I need you to tell me I'm an idiot for sleeping with Jeremy! I need you to pick up the pieces, damn it!"<br/><br/>"You want me to tell you what I think?" he asked, his voice rising and his cheeks red.<br/><br/>"Yes." Mindy wiped at her eyes, ready for the onslaught.<br/><br/>"Fine - I think that it is absolutely pathetic that in your obvious time of need, you go running to Jeremy instead of me, especially after the last two weeks. You've been getting better, Min! Why are you suddenly backsliding?" He shook his head, placing his hands on his hips. "I also think that it's fucking ridiculous that instead of talking things through and comforting you, Jeremy let's you fuck him instead? What kind of friend is that? All you would have to do is walk ten feet to my office, sit in my chair and talk to me, but you didn't. Like you said before, I've never been shy to throw my opinion out there, but for once I'm trying to be the good friend and let you live your life. I'm sorry if that threw you for a loop!"</p><p>It was silent for a moment too long and Danny sighed, dropping his gaze to the floor. "The point is I'm just trying to be a good friend here, Min. I want you to be happy. If having sex with Jeremy makes you happy-"<br/><br/>"It doesn't," she interrupted, taking a step toward him. "I didn't even come, I faked it. All I wanted was a good fuck and I couldn't even get that right."<br/><br/>Danny snorted back a laugh and Mindy smiled, her cheeks tinted pink. He grabbed her by her shoulders and pulled her to his chest. Her arms immediately held tight around his waist and she inhaled his masculine scent.<br/><br/>"Do you want to talk about Casey?"<br/><br/>"No."<br/><br/>"Do you want to talk about Jeremy?"<br/><br/>"God no."<br/><br/>"Do you want to talk about the fact that the entire time we've been having this conversation you've been commando?"<br/><br/>"Danny!"<br/><br/>She pulled away from his embrace and smacked his arm roughly as he chuckled.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>this chapter is literally ALL OVER THE PLACE, I promise I will clean everything up in the third.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Friends Take Care of Friends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"You're enjoying this way too much."</p><p>Danny smirked, watching her struggle with her crutches as they walked out of the hospital. "I just want to know how you manage to get yourself into these situations."</p><p>Mindy glared. "These situations? My hair got caught in <em>your</em> watch and I fell!"</p><p>"I don't like how you're implying that this is my fault. <em>You</em> walked into the co-ed steam room <em>naked</em>."</p><p>"You didn't tell me it was co-ed!" Her outburst caused her to teeter on her crutches and Danny reacted quickly by grabbing her hips to keep her from toppling over into the street. Mindy huffed out a 'thank you' and then lifted one whole crutch up to wave down a taxi, narrowly missing Danny's head. "Can I just go home now, please?"</p><p>"Why don't you come by mine?" he asked, focing her arm back down to her side as he lifted his own hand to wave down a cab. "I can make you some soup."</p><p>As a cab pulled up and Danny opened the door for her, Mindy pouted and looked up at him. "Can you make me pasta instead?"</p><p>Danny nodded, a grin tugging his lips. He helped her into the vehicle and twenty minutes later, they were walking through his apartment door. He settled her on the couch, demanding she prop her leg on the stack of pillows before he made his way to the kitchen to begin on dinner. </p><p>They conversed as Danny cooked, mostly Mindy shouting things at him over the back of the couch and Danny demanding she turn the volume down on the TV. It took less than an hour for Danny to dish out two bowls of butter garlic pasta with shrimp, bringing them over to the couch so they could eat and watch whatever reality show Mindy had on together. </p><p>"Danny, holy shit," Mindy groaned through a mouthful of noodles. "Why have you never made this for me before? I demand this at every meal."</p><p>Danny rolled his eyes, swallowing his bite. "You're trying to get into shape, Min. I made this as a treat because you hurt yourself today." Mindy started to whine at him, but Danny fixed her with a pointed look. "Do you want a 'body by Dan' or not?"</p><p>She made a face and resumed her eating, trying to savor every bite like it was her last.</p><p>After they finished dinner and Danny washed the dishes, Mindy rolled herself off the couch and into her crutches. "Danny, do you have clothes for me to wear? I need to get out of these leggings and this deathtrap of a sports bra. Look how tiny it makes my tits! You know they're usually huge!"</p><p>Danny refused to look at her chest and instead took off for his bedroom to grab a tshirt and a pair of boxers. "Think you can manage getting dressed on your own?" he asked upon his return.</p><p>She opened her mouth to reply, but then looked down at her brace and her leggings. "Shit, I'm trapped in these pants!"</p><p>"Just let me help you-"</p><p>"You are <em>not</em> helping me get dressed, Danny."</p><p>"It's not like I haven't seen-"</p><p>"It was against my will!"</p><p>"You've seen me naked, twice now, against my will. And you won't even be naked. They're legs, Min!"</p><p>"No, Danny!"</p>
<hr/><p>"This is humiliating."</p><p>It took twenty minutes and some slight wrestling on Danny's part, but Mindy was finally sitting on the edge of his bed in his large tshirt, her legs bare as Danny carefully peeled her tight leggings over her swollen ankle. Once the material was off, he helped her slide the plaid colored boxers over her hips and then he slid the boot back on her foot.</p><p>"It's not humiliating. It's okay to ask for help."</p><p>"I didn't ask! You forcibly sat me down!" </p><p>"Okay," he sighed, standing up as he gathered her discarded clothes from the floor. "We're just going to go in circles here and it's pointless. You're welcome for helping you get dressed, <em>ungrateful</em>."</p><p>Mindy pouted and grabbed his hand before he could turn away. "Hey." Danny looked at their hands first and then her eyes. "Thank you."</p><p>He smiled and shrugged, squeezing her fingers once before walking out of the bedroom. When he returned, Mindy was sprawled out on the bed, the TV remote in her hand and her foot propped up on one of Danny's pillows.</p><p>"Min!" he exclaimed, startling her. "First, you're supposed to be on the couch. Second, don't use my pillow, <em>the place I put my head</em>, under your foot!" </p><p>"It was starting to hurt and I needed to elevate it," she explained. "And what do you mean the couch? When my cousin spends the night, I take the couch and I give her the bed."</p><p>Danny rubbed a hand down his face. "I'm too tired to argue. At least move over so I can sleep on my side of the bed."</p><p>"So now we're sharing?" she asked, bemused.</p><p>"Well, I'm not sleeping on the couch. That thing fucks up your back."</p><p>"But it was okay for me to sleep on it?"</p><p>"Ssh, Mindy, it's bedtime."</p><p>Mindy smacked his chest and felt the rumble of laughter from Danny beneath her palm. "You're such an asshole."</p><p>They couldn't have been asleep for too long before Danny woke up, dying of heat and in need of the bathroom. The blankets around his legs were suffocating him and he tried to kick them off, but was impeded by Mindy's leg that was thrown over his thighs. He turned his head to see his friend's forehead pressed to his shoulder, her arms curled into her chest as she lightly snored. He tried tapping her leg gently at first, but ended up resorting to shoving her shoulder and calling her name.</p><p>"What?" she asked, not budging at all.</p><p>"You need to move your leg. I have to pee."</p><p>She grumbled and jerked her leg back, accidentally jabbing the heel of her boot into Danny's groin. He cried out, cupping himself in hand as Mindy sat up quickly, her hand to her mouth.</p><p>"Oh God, Danny!" she exclaimed at the look of agony on his face. "I'm so sorry!"</p><p>"It's fine," Danny croaked out, his voice slightly higher in pitch and raspy. He took a few deep breaths, the pain gradually easing away and slowly opened his eyes to see Mindy giggling behind her hand. "Thanks so much for kicking me in the nads and then laughing about it, Min."</p><p>Tears were in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry," she laughed. "Do you want me to kiss it?"</p><p>Danny shoved her shoulder and she fell back against the pillows, still cackling in mirth. He hobbled out of the bed and walked a little funny to the adjoining bathroom as Mindy settled herself back into the covers. When Danny returned, Mindy was only a few seconds away from falling back asleep. Just as she felt herself drift off, a hand smacked down on her rear end, shocking her awake.</p><p>"OW!"</p><p>"Oh, sorry, did that hurt?" Danny asked innocently as he laid beside her.</p><p>Mindy reached out and began smacking him blindly. "Yes, it hurt, you dipshit! I didn't kick your balls on purpose."</p><p>Danny laughed and grabbed at her swinging hands, catching her wrists and tugging her so they were face to face. He could feel her heavy breaths against his cheeks and his lips crooked up into a smile. "Now we're even."</p><p>Mindy felt a slight shift in the air at the intense way he was looking at her and damn it if she didn't feel a flutter in her chest at his warm smile. "No more foul play?" she asked.</p><p>Danny slowly released her wrists, holding his hands up. "Promise." </p><p>She nodded and was about to scoot back over to her side of the bed when she felt Danny's hands on her waist, pulling her closer to him. Her face fit perfectly under his chin, his skin giving off a pleasant, familiar musk, and his hand stayed pressed to her lower back. Mindy closed her eyes, brushing her nose against his collarbone and resisted the extreme urge to press her lips to his neck.</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Wedding Bell Blues pt. 1</h2></a>
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    <p>"Morning, Bets."</p><p>The receptionist looked up brightly at Danny, a wide smile on her face. "Morning Dr. Castellano! How was your weekend?"</p><p>Danny thought over his weekend he spent with his ma and Richie who was visiting from Florida. "It was good. How was yours?"</p><p>"Oh, it was stressful," she sighed, shaking her head. "I got Mr. Green a new friend and I spent most of the weekend trying to keep them from killing each other. Who knew turtles were so territorial?"</p><p>Danny smirked, grabbing his mail. "Well, I'll be in my office if you need me. Can you tell Mindy to see me when she gets in?"</p><p>Betsy's face fell and Danny paused, turning back to face her. "Oh, Dr. Lahiri won't be in today. She called in sick. She was supposed to help me name my new turtle, but I guess it will have to wait until she feels better."</p><p>Danny frowned, nodding his head before he walked into his office. He was just texting Mindy last night when he got back from Staten. She told him she had a new pair of heels she was dying for him to see and he told her he wasn't one of her girlfriends so why would he care about a pair of shoes? It started a whole texting argument that ended with him sending a sad face emoji and her replying with an angry emoji. He planned on buying her lunch to make up for it.</p><p>He sat down in his chair and sorted through his mail, getting himself ready for his first appointment when the overwhelming urge to make sure she was okay took over. He grabbed his phone and composed a quick text.</p><p>"<em>U ok</em>?"</p><p>Before he could even set the device down on the desk, his phone dinged with a message. </p><p>"<em>fine</em>." </p><p>Danny stared at the message, his chest constricting with some odd feeling. It wasn't like her to reply with one worded messages, she always had more than enough to say. And if she were truly sick, she would be playing it up and claim she were dying, asking for food or a buddy to watch movies with. He took a moment, trying to figure out what he needed to say when Betsy knocked on his door, telling him his patient had arrived. He text Mindy back quickly and told Betsy he'd be right out.</p><p>"<em>chicken noodle or vegetable soup</em>?"</p><p>As he was about to put his phone into his desk drawer, it beeped again with another message.</p><p>"<em>chicken noodle</em>."</p><hr/><p>Danny was just putting the finishing touches on his ma's '<em>chicken noodle zuppa</em>' when he grabbed the mail he lugged in with the groceries off the counter. He skipped through the bills and ads and found a hand written envelope on the bottom. Frowning, he tore open the envelope and pulled out a wedding invite.</p><p>To Casey's wedding.</p><p>Casey, the guy Mindy broke up with two months ago.</p><p>Realizing why Mindy holed herself away in her apartment all day, Danny cursed and tossed the invitation in the trash before turning off the burner on his stovetop. He carefully poured the soup in a glass tupperware container and put it in a bag to make for easy carrying while he traveled the subway to Mindy's apartment. </p><p>It took him twenty minutes to arrive at her front door and rather than knock, he just turned the knob and pushed it open. Danny shook his head, quietly cursing Mindy under his breath about her safety and closed the door behind him, setting the soup on the kitchen island. </p><p>"Min?" he called out as he shrugged off his jacket. He heard shuffling feet behind him and turned to see her walking out of her bedroom.</p><p>Her hair was in a ponytail high on her head, her glasses perched on her nose and she was wearing a pair of sleep shorts with a large sweater that was hanging off one shoulder. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen and he noted she had a wad of tissues tightly fisted in her hand. Wordlessly, Danny walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her waist.</p><p>Mindy let out a sob and snaked her arms around his neck as Danny lifted her off the floor, letting her wrap her legs around his hips. He held her like a child, rubbing a comforting hand up and down her back as she cried into his neck. He walked her over to the kitchen island and sat her down on top of it, pushing her back only far enough to see her face, his thumbs brushing stray tears away from her cheeks. </p><p>"Do you want to talk about it?" </p><p>Mindy sniffled, still hiccupping breaths as she tried to calm down. She nodded her head, her fingers playing with the t-shirt sleeve at Danny's bicep. Her bottom lip trembled and she felt a new wave of tears start. "I know I'm the one who broke things off," she started slowly. "But it's only been two months, Danny. And I just feel like I'm worthless. Like I wasn't enough for him, or enough for Josh, or Tom..."</p><p>"Min, stop," he interrupted her, cupping her jaw and tilting her head back so he could look into her eyes. "You are more than enough. Those guys were assholes and treated you like shit. There is nothing wrong with you and I need to know that you understand that."</p><p>Mindy swallowed and wiped her eyes. "I guess some part of me knows that, Danny, but I still feel rejected, you know?"</p><p>Danny gathered her in his arms again, kissing her temple. "I know, Min. I know."</p><p>"I know you brought me soup, but I just want to go to bed, Danny," she mumbled into his chest.</p><p>He pulled back to look at her again. "Okay, that's no problem. I'll put it in the fridge and let you get some rest."</p><p>She stared up at him, her eyes wet and pleading. "No, please stay with me. I don't want to be alone anymore today."</p><p>Danny kissed her forehead and stepped back from the counter, helping her hop down. He grabbed the container of soup and put it in the fridge before walking around the apartment to turn off the lights and make sure the door was locked. When he walked into her bedroom, Mindy was already under the covers, her glasses on the nightstand and her hair loose around her shoulders. Danny kicked off his shoes and contemplated for a moment about keeping his jeans on, but ended up taking them off, leaving them in a pile next to the bed. </p><p>He climbed under the covers with her, pulling the covers up to his chest and he let out a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. Mindy rolled over to him, an arm slinging over his abdomen and her face pressed into his shoulder.</p><p>"Thank you, Danny."</p><p>Danny looked down at her and put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his chest. "You don't have to thank me, Min."</p><p>"Yes, I do," she insisted. "You're my best friend and you gave up your Friday night to comfort me."</p><p>"Wait, I'm your best friend?"</p><p>"I told you it's a tier, Danny!" She lightly smacked his stomach and giggled. "Although, at this point you're pretty much at the top and everyone else is way down below."</p><p>"Really?"</p><p>Feeling her cheeks heat up a bit, Mindy snuggled further into his chest so he couldn't see her blush. "Well, yeah. Gwen and her family moved to DC, Alex is traveling still, Maggie married that guy and moved to Australia. You're basically it, buddy."</p><p>Danny rubbed his hand up and down her arm and smiled wide. Warmth spread over him and his body relaxed from the tense state he didn't even realize he was in. "You're my best friend, too, Min."</p><p>"Well, duh. I knew that."</p><p>He pinched her hip and Mindy squealed, squirming away from his fingers.</p><hr/><p>"You know we have to go to that wedding, right?"</p><p>Danny looked up from his paperwork to see Mindy entering the doctor's lounge. "Wedding? <em>Casey's</em> wedding? <em>We</em>?"</p><p>Mindy refrained from rolling her eyes and stalked straight over to the vending machine, putting a dollar in and grabbing the sour straws when the fell. "Yes, Danny. We. You and me need to go to Casey's wedding."</p><p>"Why?"</p><p>She plopped down on one end of the couch, kicking her legs up and taking up most of the space as she opened her package of candy. "Because Danny. We need to show Casey that I'm fine and I'm dating and happy."</p><p>Danny stared at her, folding his arms over his chest. "But you aren't dating anyone."</p><p>"I will be by the time we go to the wedding."</p><p>"But I thought you wanted me to go to the wedding with you."</p><p>Mindy raised her eyebrow and stared him down as she bit off a large piece of sour straw and chewed slowly. Finally realizing what she was implying, Danny vehemently shook his head.</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Please, Danny!" Mindy cried, leaping across the couch at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck with one leg tossed into his lap and started to beg desperately. "I'll do anything you want! I'll do your paperwork for a week. I'll cook you dinner! I'll stop making you watch reality TV!"</p><p>Danny grabbed her flailing arms and held them to his chest. "Okay, calm down! I'll go!" She shrieked in excitement and started to pepper his cheek with kisses. He pushed at her, telling her to quit until she was no longer in his lap and was just sitting beside him with a gleeful grin on her lips. </p><p>"You're the best, Danny. Thank you." She planted one more kiss on his cheek and then jumped off the couch, snatching her forgotten sour straws off the cushion as she began to walk out of the room. "You're gonna make a great fake fiance!"</p><p>"Yeah, I-what? No. You said dating! Mindy!"</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Wedding Bell Blues pt. 2</h2></a>
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    <p>"Ohhh my Goddd, this bed is so much better than mine."</p><p>Danny looked over from where he was unpacking his suitcase into one of the dressers in the hotel room. "That's because it's not filled with pots and pans and knives and candy-"</p><p>"Hey hey hey!" Mindy tossed a pillow at him. "Leave my sleeping habits alone."</p><p>He shook his head, a smile tugging his lips. They had to fly to California for the wedding, taking a long weekend for the event. Danny still didn't quite understand why Mindy felt the need to prove a point to Casey, but he honestly would do anything for the infuriating woman. So when she bought a fake engagement ring and made Danny put it on her at the top of the Empire State Building and then took a bunch of pictures on her phone, Danny went along with the entire fiasco, only rolling his eyes once. </p><p>"Danny! Look at the porn selection!" Mindy exclaimed. </p><p>Quickly, Danny snatched the remote from his roommate and changed the channel. He flopped down on the bed next to her, ignoring her loud protests and found Real Housewives. "There, watch your reality show and shut up."</p><p>"You shouldn't tell your fiance to shut up." Mindy pouted, crossing her arms over her chest as she settled back against the pillows.</p><p>Danny turned to look at her, his breath hot on her face. "You're not my fiance."</p><p>Mindy's jaw dropped dramatically. "How dare you, Daniel Castellano." She moved to smack him, but Danny anticipated her violence and grabbed her wrist. Mindy squeaked and squirmed against him, but Danny rolled over until he was on top of her, holding her wrists down to the mattress and looming over her face with a grin. "Get off me, Danny!" </p><p>"Not until I know you're going to stop attacking me."</p><p>"I'll never stop attacking you. It is my right your fiance-"</p><p>"Fake fiance."</p><p>"Fine, then it is my right as your best friend to attack you in any way I see fit." Before Danny could respond, Mindy parted her legs so he fell flush against her and then gripped his hips with her thighs, bucking up against him and then flipping them so he was now beneath her on the bed. "HA!"</p><p>Danny just smirked. "Now what?"</p><p>She pouted, staring down at him and was about to respond when Danny's phone began to ring on the bedside table. Mindy whined and slid off him, muttering under her breath, "You're lucky cause I was about to unleash the kraken, buddy." </p><p>Danny grabbed the phone and answered it without reading the caller ID. He rolled his eyes and fell back against the pillows in annoyance when he heard Morgan on the other line. "Yes, Morgan we're safe. For the record, we did not agree on calling you when we landed. No, we have not seen Casey yet. Yes, she's fine. No, we're-what? Morgan! I'm hanging up."</p><p>Mindy turned to face Danny as he threw the phone at the end of the bed. "What did he want?"</p><p>Danny shrugged, a blush rising on his cheeks. "He's just being weird. Nothing unusual."</p><p>Mindy noticed the flush of color rising up from Danny's neck, but chose to ignore it. She rolled out of the bed and started gather clothes and bathroom items for a shower. "Come on, Danny. We need to get ready for the cocktail hour."</p><p>"How exactly did you get invited to the rehearsal dinner again?" Danny asked as he continued to lounge on the bed.</p><p>"We weren't invited to the rehearsal dinner, dummy. We were invited to cocktails before the rehearsal dinner."</p><p>"Either way..." </p><p>Mindy had her arms full of toiletries and makeup and she started to shuffle to the bathroom. "It doesn't matter. We need to get ready. I need to show you off and I want to have at least one drink in me before I see Casey."</p><p>"You don't think it's going to be weird?"</p><p>"What do you mean? Of course it's going to be weird." She dropped her items on the bathroom sink and kicked the door shut.</p><p>Danny heard her shout "Get ready!" through the sound of the shower turning on and sighed. It took him twenty minutes to change his clothes, putting on a dark pair of jeans and dress shoes. He slipped a white wife-beater over his head and then pulled on a blue dress shirt, leaving a few buttons undone near his neck and rolling up the sleeves to his elbows. He sprayed on his cologne and made sure his hair was laying right in the mirror above the dresser. As he was putting his Rolex on, he heard the bathroom door open and wave of steam spilled into the room, followed by Mindy.</p><p>"I could live in that shower," she said. "The water pressure is perfect."</p><p>Danny turned to comment that if she wanted, he could fix her shower for her, but just as he opened his mouth he caught sight of her almost nude form. "Mindy!" he exclaimed. "Can you put some clothes on, please!"</p><p>Mindy looked down at her bra and thong with a frown. She had a towel wrapped around her head and was looking through the closet for the dress she chose to wear for the evening. "Danny, you've seen me completely naked before. Like twice. You said so yourself it's no big deal."</p><p>"That doesn't mean you can just parade around in your underwear!" He turned back towards the mirror and tried to distract himself and will his arousal he felt stirring in his pants to go away. He had seen her naked before, but both of those situations were vastly different. This was intimate; they were pretending to be engaged and sharing a hotel room for three days. They spent many nights together, sure, but always as just friends, never under the guise of being more than that. </p><p>"Whatever, you'll get over it," she said as she pulled a dress off the hanger. "Can you zip me up?"</p><p>Danny turned around again to see her pulling the dress up her legs. She wiggled her hips back and forth to get it to go over her perfectly rounded bare ass and Danny bit his lip hard to stifle a groan. He slowly walked over to her as she slid her arms through the sleeves of the canary yellow dress and grabbed the zipper at the base of her spine, sliding it up to the middle of her back.</p><p>"Thanks." She spun around and kissed his cheek quickly before hopping back into the bathroom to do her hair. </p><p>Danny smacked his head repeatedly against the wall and took deep breaths, but every time he closed his eyes he saw his best friend's rear end in a pink lacy thong and he began to sweat. He called out to Mindy that he was going to get some fresh air and took the book he brought with him and his phone out onto the balcony, sliding the door closed behind him.</p><hr/><p>By the time they reached the bar, they had ten minutes before the 'cocktail hour' was to begin and luckily there was no sign of the bride or groom yet. Mindy ordered two shots and sat down on a barstool while Danny stood next to her, leaning on his elbows on the bartop. When their shots were placed in front of them, Mindy clinked glasses with Danny and quickly shot back the alcohol, barely swallowing the liquid before she was ordering two more.</p><p>"Min, I know you're nervous, but you need to be careful with the alcohol," Danny said, rubbing his hand up and down her back. Mindy didn't reply, only shooting a glare his way before she downed the second shot. Danny chuckled under his breath and took his second shot as well and just as he was placing the small glass back on the bar, they heard the voice of Casey from behind them.</p><p>"Mindy? Danny?"</p><p>The fake couple turned to face the bride and groom. "Casey!" Mindy exclaimed, hopping off the barstool to envelop him in a hug. "Congratulations!"</p><p>Danny stood slightly back, an awkward smile on his lips as Casey introduced Mindy to his fiance. She was a tall woman, only an inch shorter than Casey with her heels on. Her hair was a shade of auburn that was obviously not her natural color and she had large green eyes.</p><p>"Ellie, this is Mindy. And this is Danny, Mindy's friend." Casey shook Danny's hand and the doctor cleared his throat uncomfortably.</p><p>"Actually, Danny's my fiance," Mindy said loudly, whipping her hand out to show off the shiny diamond ring.</p><p>"Oh my, congrats!" Ellie exclaimed with a genuine smile.</p><p>Casey stared at Danny, a frown etched into his features as he studied the older man. He looked at Mindy who was beaming and telling the story of her engagement to Ellie before he turned back to Danny. "Wow, engaged?" he said, his voice shaking slightly. </p><p>"Yup," Danny nodded, his hands on his hips nervously. "It was-"</p><p>"Inevitable!" Mindy piped in, snaking her arms around Danny's waist. "Who better to get married to than your best friend, right?"</p><p>Danny tensed for a moment and then relaxed slowly, remembering he was supposed to be playing a part. He placed his hand low on Mindy's back, his fingers grazing the top of her ass, and kissed her cheek. "Exactly."</p><p>"You two didn't waste any time then, did you?" Casey blurted out.</p><p>"Casey," Ellie said under her breath in warning.</p><p>"Waste any time?" Mindy raised her eyebrow and Danny could feel her slightly shake in anger beneath his hands. He half expected her to go off on him right then and there, in public, the night before his wedding, but Mindy surprised him by just smiling sweetly at her ex. "No, we didn't waste any time, Casey. It was meant to be."</p><p>Before they could continue the conversation and possibly get into some awkward fight, another couple came up to them to greet Casey and Ellie. Mindy and Danny turned back to the bar, Danny's hand still on her lower back, his thumb sweeping back and forth against the material.</p><p>"You okay?" he whispered in her ear.</p><p>Mindy suppressed the shudder that dared go through her body and nodded stiffly. She held up her hand to get the bartender's attention and ordered a vodka cranberry for herself and a beer for Danny. She tilted her head to stare at Danny as he added on a platter of loaded potato skins, a smile playing at her lips.</p><p>"You know me too damn well."</p><p>An hour later, Danny and Mindy were still mingling by the bar while the rehearsal dinner was announced. They were both feeling a little more than tipsy, Mindy practically hanging off of Danny as they slouched in their barstools. Casey came over, placing a tentative hand on her shoulder and she spun around to look at him.</p><p>"Casey! What's up, dude?"</p><p>The former pastor stepped back when he smelled the copious amounts of alcohol on her breath and cleared his throat. "I was, uh, wondering if you guys wanted to join us for the dinner. You flew all the way out here and-"</p><p>"Aw, man," Mindy said loudly, slapping a hand on Casey's chest. "We'd love to, but," she turned back to Danny and placed a hand dangerously high on his inner thigh, leaning into him again. "I think we're gonna head upstairs instead. If you know what I mean." </p><p>Casey frowned as she attempted to wink and ended up just twitching her eyes. "Are you- are you okay? You're kinda spazzing out there?"</p><p>Mindy huffed and concentrated hard, finally getting a proper wink out with a satisfied smile. Danny and Casey both looked at her with odd expressions and she took a deep breath. "Anyway! We're going to go have sex. So, see you tomorrow!" And with that, she grabbed Danny's hand and dragged him off the barstool towards the elevators, not even giving Casey a chance to respond.</p><p>Once the elevators door closed, Mindy collapsed into a fit of drunken giggles, her face pressed into Danny's chest as he hit the button for their floor. </p><p>"Oh God, that was hysterical. Did you see his face?" </p><p>Danny shook his head, smiling. "Yeah, you sure showed him, Min."</p><p>She gasped and looked up at him, her eyes wide and twinkling in the dim elevator lights. "I did show him, didn't I? See, I told you this was a good idea! He still has the hots for me, but he thinks I've moved on!"</p><p>"Okay." Danny just wanted to get back to the room and fall into bed. The day was tiring enough with traveling, but looking after a drunken Mindy was extremely exhausting. </p><p>Mindy hiccuped, tripping over her shoes somehow as she stood in place and Danny caught her before she fell, his hands secure around her hips. "I'm totally over him, Danny... I really am." </p><p>Hearing the tears in her voice, Danny bent down with what little sober strength he had and lifted Mindy into his arms bridal style. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pressed her nose into his neck just as the elevator dinged on their floor. Knowing she was definitely not over her ex, Danny kept quiet as he carried her to their room door, managing to fish the keycard out of his pocket expertly without dropping the woman in his arms. Once they were inside, Danny sat Mindy down on the edge of the bed and started to tear off his suddenly constricting clothes. </p><p>Once he was down to his boxers, he walked to the mini fridge and grabbed two bottles of water and then searched in his toiletry bag for some Advil, setting them down on the nightstand. Mindy was still seated at the end of the bed, staring at the floor, but her heels were in a pile at her feet. Danny sighed and grabbed her wrists, hauling her up so she was leaning all of her weight on his torso. He placed his hands at her back and unzipped her dress, pushing the material down until it was in a heap at their feet. </p><p>Mindy shivered and Danny felt the goosebumps rise on her skin beneath his palms that couldn't seem to move from her waist. He pulled back slightly to catch her eyeline and Mindy did the same, their bare stomachs brushing together as they breathed. Her fingers brushed against his chest hair and Danny felt his heart begin to beat faster and louder against her palm. Their breaths mingled, their faces mere inches apart and Danny opened his mouth to say something, anything, but no words would come forth.</p><p>"I like being someone's fake fiance," Mindy mumbled, her eyes dropping to his chest as she traced lazy circles into his skin. "I'm so glad you're here with me, Danny. I couldn't have asked for a better friend."</p><p>That comment took the wind out of Danny's sails and he felt himself let out a breath of disappointment. He drew back from her, turning to grab her a pair of pajamas from the dresser. He handed them to her and told her to get dressed before he walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind him and leaning against it for support. </p><p>"I'm such an idiot."</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Wedding Bell Blues pt. 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Danny woke the next morning, his head was heavy and fuzzy, a sure sign of a slight hangover. He grunted, lifting a hand to his face and rubbed at his tired eyes. There was a light snoring beside him, Mindy still asleep and curled into a ball on her side of the bed. By the time Danny had emerged from the bathroom the night before, Mindy was dressed in her pajamas and sound asleep under the covers. He sent a silent 'thank you' to God and slipped in beside her, falling sleep as best he could with racing thoughts in his mind.</p><p>Of course, before they became very close, he thought of Mindy being a possibility for him, but ever since he spent the night at her place when she received the wedding invitation, he pushed his feelings aside and decided to just be there for her. The past day and a half began to prove to him that there was no way he could just push aside his feelings and that he needed to get control of them fast before he did something stupid. Things were getting complicated and he couldn't help but think maybe Mindy was having a similar issue. </p><p>He hoped.</p><p>With a shake of his head, Danny sat up and grabbed the painkillers he set on the nightstand last night, popping three into his mouth and swallowing them down with two chugs of water. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood slowly, willing the pulse in his brain to go away as he stretched. </p><p>"Whoa. Good morning."</p><p>Danny looked down at the bed to see Mindy on her side facing him, her eyes barely open and squinting. He noticed she wasn't looking at his face and instead was staring point blank at his crotch. He looked down, seeing the bulge in his boxers from his morning wood and crossed his hands over himself quickly.</p><p>"Mindy! Don't!" he exclaimed.</p><p>Mindy giggled into the pillow and finally drew her eyes up to his face. "Good morning to you, too, Danny." </p><p>His face was red, he could feel it and he turned away from her to snatch his clothes out of the dresser, grumbling out "Morning."</p><p>"There's nothing to be embarrassed by, Danny!" Mindy said with a chuckle. She sat up and grabbed her glasses off her nightstand, slipping them onto her face so she could see him properly. </p><p>"I'm not embarrassed!" he claimed, spinning around and holding his clothes precariously over his crotch. "It's very natural for men and I'm not- I'm <em>not</em> embarrassed, okay?"</p><p>"You're blushing pretty hard there, buddy. Hehe, <em>hard</em>."</p><p>Danny rolled his eyes at her immature laugh and awkwardly walked to the bathroom, calling out how childish she is over his shoulder before slamming the bathroom door shut. He could still hear her laughter through the door as he turned on the shower and shucked his underwear off his hips. Stepping into the still cold stream of water, Danny cursed himself for what he was about to do and then grabbed hold of his half-hard dick. </p><p>He pressed a forearm onto the tiled wall and leaned his forehead against it, biting his bottom lip. He stroked himself until he was throbbing in his fist, hoping the sound of the running water was enough to drown out his soft moan. He began to let his mind drift, wondering what would happen if Mindy knew what he was doing on the other side of the door. Would she burst in, throw back the curtain and watch as he got himself off? Or would she strip off her clothes and join him, claiming her mouth was much better than his hand. </p><p>Another groan escaped him and he thrust hard into his hand, squeezing his muscles tightly. He pictured Mindy sinking to her knees, the water from the shower spilling over her body, her dark nipples peaked from the cold spray. He could see her open her mouth, her tongue lapping at his leaking head, her own hand between her legs to tease herself. </p><p>"Fuck," Danny whispered as he suddenly came hard, shooting cum on the wall of the shower as well as on his belly and hand. He took a few moments to gather himself, get his breathing under control before he started to clean up, finishing his shower quickly so Mindy wouldn't question why he took so long. Or worse, tease him about jacking off his morning erection.</p>
<hr/><p>Mindy continued to giggle loudly when Danny slammed the bathroom door shut. Of all the times they shared a bed, Danny always woke and usually dressed before her so she never had any incident with his morning wood. She knew he was annoyed at her for cracking jokes, but she couldn't help it. </p><p>She also couldn't help the rush of arousal she felt when she saw it. </p><p>Surprisingly, she didn't have a hangover from all the drinking she did last night, but instead she felt a dull ache settle right between her thighs. She remembered being pressed against Danny's toned body, both of them clad in only their underwear and she also remembered the stupid word she muttered to him.</p><p>'<em>Friend</em>'.</p><p>She groaned, pulling the covers over her head in self-hatred. She was almost sure Danny was going to kiss her and instead of saying something sexy she let her fear take over and blurted out the words that made him pull away instantly. Rather than deal with the embarrassment she felt when Danny disappeared behind the bathroom door, she dressed herself quickly and crawled under the covers, willing sleep to overtake her before Danny emerged. </p><p>Now he was back on the other side of that bathroom door and Mindy was in bed still, surrounded by the smell of him. She bit her lip and let her hand travel down into her sleep shorts, brushing her fingers against the soaked gusset of her lacy thong. She gasped when she felt how turned on she was and battled with herself for a moment before she pushed the panties to the side and pressed one finger between her slippery folds. </p><p>She closed her eyes and sighed, seeing Danny in her mind. She briefly wondered what he was doing in the shower, if he was letting the cold water run over his hot body to calm himself down, or if he was taking matters into his own hands, literally, and jerking off. She moaned, hoping it was the latter and pushed a second finger into herself, her hips jutting against the movement of her hand. She spread her legs a little more and slipped her fingers out to brush her aching clit, trembling as pleasure surged through her and then pushed her fingers back in, pumping a few times before repeating. </p><p>Just as she felt the waves of her orgasm begin to crash through her, the shower turned off. She had to shove the corner of the comforter into her mouth to stifle her loud squeak and drawn out moan as she came, praying to all the gods that Danny could not hear her now that the water was no longer running. With two more teasing pinches to her clit, she pulled her hand out of her shorts and quickly got out of the bed, wiping her damp fingers against the cotton of her shorts. </p><p>She licked her lips and took a deep breath to calm her erratic breathing, grabbing clothes and a fresh towel from the small closet just as Danny emerged from the bathroom. They looked at each other and slow, easy grins spread over their faces.</p><p>"My turn?" she asked. "Cause you know when I go in there it's going to be at least two hours before I come out."</p><p>Danny smirked, looking at his watch that was resting on top of the dresser to check the time. "We only have three hours before we have to be at the church, Min. So, if you want to eat breakfast, you might want to get a move on."</p><p>Mindy's eyes widened, checking the time on her phone and squeaked before rushing into the bathroom.</p>
<hr/><p>"That was an insanely long ceremony," Mindy whined as she and Danny walked into the ballroom of the hotel. Her hand had a death grip on his bicep, her nails somehow digging into his skin through his suit jacket and dress shirt.</p><p>"That was nothing," he scoffed. "Ever been to a Catholic wedding?"</p><p>"No. Ever been to an Indian wedding? Now<em> that's</em> long."</p><p>"But you said-"</p><p>"I know what I said, I was being dramatic."</p><p>They sat down at their table, greeting a few of the people there briefly. Mindy immediately grabbed the flute of champagne and was about to down it when Danny placed a hand on her forearm. She frowned at him, a glare ready to be thrown his way when his pleading look stopped her.</p><p>"Let's chill on the alcohol, Min. Your track record isn't that great at weddings and you know we can have fun without it." </p><p>Mindy wanted to be angry, offended, anything, but instead she felt warm and gooey, a surge of affection and surprisingly a little bit of arousal coursing through her at the words of her best friend. She silently nodded, setting the flute down and switched over to her water goblet, taking a dainty sip.</p><p>The reception began, the newly married couple was announced, and dinner was well underway when the DJ got back on the mic to introduce the bride and groom's first dance. Danny wrapped his arm around the back of Mindy's chair when he saw her shoulders stiffen and her face become stoic. He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear and began to whisper tiny jokes about Casey and Ellie, smiling when Mindy had to cover her mouth in laughter. </p><p>After everyone clapped. other couples began to join the newlyweds on the dancefloor. Danny stood and held his hand out for Mindy, throwing her a wink as she took his hand. He led her to the middle of the floor and held her hips as a song with a heavy beat and fast tempo began to play. He guided her as they danced, hearing her giggle and feeling his chest tighten at the sound.</p><p>After a few fun fast dances, a slow song came on and Mindy suddenly felt awkward. Danny paid no mind to her panic stricken face and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her flush against him. Mindy slipped her arms around his neck, closing her eyes and swaying with the music. </p><p>"Sorry, I'm all sweaty," Danny mumbled, his low voice sending shivers down her spine. </p><p>Mindy looked up at him, a grin tugging her lips. "It's okay," she whispered. "I like it." She pressed her forehead to his, their noses brushing and they simply breathed each other in. They looked like the perfect picture of a couple in love, but everyone who surrounded them had no clue that they were both freaking out on the inside. </p><p>The song began to fade out and both of them felt a wave of disappointment, not wanting to part ways. When another upbeat tempo kicked in, Mindy tightened her arms around Danny's neck and tucked her face into the collar of his shirt. Danny's embrace around her waist tightened and she felt him press kisses into her hair. She tilted her face up, her lips daring to press a kiss to his jaw and then another kiss over the racing pulse of his neck, gathering the salty taste of his sweat on the tip of her tongue. </p><p>Danny slid one hand up her back, his fingers finding the bare skin of her shoulder blades and he pressed his pelvis into hers, using his other hand on her lower back to swing their hips side to side to the beat. Mindy's hand tangled in the hair at the back of his neck and she pulled his head down so his nose was buried in her neck, her breaths coming out in pants against his ear. Their hips grinded together and she bit back a moan when her breasts brushed his chest. She felt Danny's hands roving her back until they finally settled on the rounded curve of her ass, pressing her impossibly closer to him.</p><p>"Uh, guys? I'm glad you're having fun, but your dancing is turning pornographic." </p><p>The sound of Casey's voice startled them apart, but Danny had the sense to keep his hand on Mindy's hip, holding her to his side for appearance sake.</p><p>"Sorry, man," he said, his voice gravely and low. "She's uh," he looked down at Mindy who looked just as affected by their dancing as he was. "She's pretty hard to resist."</p><p>Casey grinned down at Mindy who was blushing and trying to hide it in Danny's shoulder. "Well, do you mind if I cut in?"</p><p>Danny looked to Mindy, not wanting her to feel uncomfortable dancing with her ex and she just nodded at him, answering his silent question. He placed a lingering kiss on the corner of her mouth and then handed her off to Casey as another slow song came through the speakers. Danny made his way to the bar, ordering himself a whiskey and kept his eyes on the former couple who seemed to be idly chatting.</p>
<hr/><p>"You know, some part of me really wanted you to be lying about all of this."</p><p>Mindy furrowed her eyebrows, looking up at her ex in confusion. "What are you talking about?"</p><p>"You and Danny," he elaborated, nodding in Danny's direction. "I thought you coming here with him and pretending to be engaged was another one of your crazy schemes."</p><p>"Okay, my schemes are not crazy. They're smart and elaborate." She waved one hand around aimlessly before settling it back on his shoulder and mumbled, "They're just also poorly executed." She smiled as Casey laughed lightly, a small part of her sad at how much she missed it. </p><p>"You and Danny, though," Casey continued. "You guys are legit together. Last night I wasn't so sure, but seeing you guys today, the way he looks at you... Hell, the way he's always looked at you, I wondered even while we were still together if he had feelings for you. Obviously, he did."</p><p>"Wait," Mindy glanced over at Danny who was talking to the bartender and then back to Casey. "What do you mean he always looked at me?"</p><p>Casey frowned, his bottom lip partially jutted out. "Surely you guys have talked about it? Danny's had a thing for you for a long time. I saw it the first time I met him which is why I swooped in fast to get you."</p><p>"Right, no, yeah," Mindy brushed it off even as her stomach tightened with nerves. "I totally knew that. He's loved me for years and I..." She paused, peering over Casey's shoulder to see Danny looking at her, a small grin on his lips. "I love him more than I thought I could ever love someone." </p><p>"That kinda stings," Casey pouted. "But I get it. I didn't think I would find love so quick after you dumped me, but then Ellie came along and-"</p><p>"Yeah, that's great. Hey, can you excuse me?" Mindy interrupted, stepping away from Casey's loose hold. She didn't even wait for a response. She brushed past her ex and made a bee-line for Danny, her heart fluttering at the way his face lit up when he caught sight of her. "Danny, can we go back to the room?"</p><p>He frowned, worry clouding his features. "Is everything okay?" he asked softly, placing his hand on her back and glancing over at Casey. </p><p>"It's fine," she told him, tucking herself into his arms as he led her to their table to grab her purse. "I'm just tired."</p><p>It only took twenty minutes for them to get to their room and get into their pajamas. It was still early, only just hitting 9pm by the time they slid under the covers so Danny flipped on the TV for them to watch as they went to sleep. Mindy lay on her back, her head slightly propped up by the pillows while Danny was sitting up against the headboard, his arms crossed over his chest. </p><p>She rolled to her side, reaching a hand over and placing it on his abdomen, gaining Danny' attention. She ran her fingers lightly over his stomach and up to grab his forearms, pulling them away from his chest. Danny slouched down so he was lying next to her and opened his arms for Mindy to crawl into his embrace. She hooked a leg over his, her calf brushing the inside of his thigh and pressed their chests together. Danny ran a hand up and down her back, the other brushing hair away from her face as he gazed down at her. </p><p>"You okay, Min?" he asked sweetly.</p><p>Mindy took a minute to reply, hearing his heartbeat thump fast in her ear. She tilted her head back, her eyelashes fluttering and her breath warm on his face. "Kiss me, Danny."</p><p>Her words washed over him like a blanket of relief and he did as she asked. </p>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Hey La, Hey La, My Ex is Back</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The kiss was soft, sweet, and the slightest bit wet. They parted slowly and Danny couldn't resist pecking her mouth one more time before turning his head back towards the television. Mindy snuggled herself impossibly closer to him, her nose rubbing against his neck in a way Danny knew from past experience was something she did before she fell asleep. It took only a few minutes before her breaths evened out and Danny smiled, shifting himself slowly to get more comfortable with her laying completely on top of him. </p><p>The next morning, Mindy woke up to the sound of a suitcase being zipped up and she pouted, hauling the pillow over her head to keep out the sunlight and noise. She was mere seconds from falling back asleep when the pillow was ripped from her hands and Danny's body was laying sideways on top of her stomach.</p><p>"Danny!" she shrieked, pummeling his back with her fists. "Get off me!"</p><p>"This is your wakeup call, Lahiri," he said, scooting down slightly so his face was against her belly. "Our flight leaves in two hours."</p><p>"Fine, get off so I can shower," she grunted, trying to twist out of his arms. </p><p>Danny let her go, but not before laying a hard smack against her ass as she stepped away from the bed. She twisted around and glared at him. </p><p>"Stop smacking my butt, ya perv!"</p><p>He only chuckled in response.</p>
<hr/><p>Three weeks passed since they returned from California and things were running smoothly. Neither of them talked about the weird vibe they had during the wedding reception and surprisingly it didn't hinder their friendship at all. Mindy found her broken heart to be almost fully mended and decided she was ready to get back into the dating scene. She was for sure completely over Casey, but it still hurt seeing his Facebook updates with his new wife tagged and his Instagram photos of their honeymoon in Europe.</p><p>"Why are you even following him still?" Danny asked from beside her in the crowded subway car.</p><p>Mindy frowned, scrolling past another photo of Casey and Ellie happily smiling in front of the Eiffel Tower. "I have to keep tabs on him, Danny. Don't you keep tabs on your exes?"</p><p>"What?" he shirked slightly away from her, his face scrunched up. "No, why would I care what my exes are doing? Once we break up it's done, over, kaput." He emphasized his statement by slapping his hands like he was ridding himself of dust and then crossed his arms over his chest. </p><p>She shook her head at him, looking back to the photos. "Well, I'm not as cold-hearted as you apparently."</p><p>Danny snapped his head back at her. "I'm not cold-hearted!"</p><p>Mindy could see the annoyance and hurt in his eyes, but continued anyway. "The only time I've seen you show emotion was when Eyepatch dumped you. You weren't even dating her that long! Not to mention the Christina fiasco-"</p><p>"Okay, can we not bring that back up?" </p><p>"<em>I</em> know there's a little bit of warmth somewhere in that heart of yours," she continued, poking a fake nail into his chest. "But that's because I'm your best friend and I see right through you, Castellano."</p><p>Danny caught her finger, trapping it in his hand and pried the phone from her hand as she shrieked at him. "This is mine until we get to the office." He shoved the phone in his pocket, ignoring Mindy's light smacks to his shoulder.</p><p>"Danny, that's not funny! Give it back!"</p><p>"No."</p><p>"Is this because I said you were cold-hearted? I didn't mean it!"</p><p>"You're just saying that so I'll give your phone back. It's not gonna work, Min."</p><p>"Dannyyyy..." She pouted and started to wrap her arms around his shoulders to begin begging when they heard his name being called from somewhere in the car. Danny and Mindy looked around and saw a familiar blonde head of hair weaving through the people standing on the subway until she reached them. </p><p>"Christina?" they both said in surprise.</p><p>"Hey!" she smiled, waving awkwardly. "I thought I heard your voice over there, but wasn't sure until I heard Mindy whining. Then I knew it had to be you."</p><p>Mindy frowned at that, but Danny chuckled knowingly. She turned to him and smacked his arm hard. "I don't whine!"</p><p>Danny ignored her and kept his gaze on his ex-wife. "So, how are things?" he asked.</p><p>Christina's pale cheeks flushed slightly and she opened her coat to reveal a baby bump that was previously hidden. "Things are going pretty good actually."</p><p>"Whoa!" Mindy exclaimed. "Congrats!"</p><p>"Thanks," Christina nodded at her. "My husband and I are really excited."</p><p>"Husband?" Danny's voice cracked on the word and he stood up to face her, his hand clutching the pole she was also holding on to to keep balance. "You're married."</p><p>The photographer nodded, tucking a strand of her growing blonde hair back behind her ear. "Yeah, Marco and I got married in a courthouse about a week ago. I didn't want a big wedding my second time around and we wanted to get it done before this little one was welcomed into the world." She rubbed her belly and Mindy caught the flash of a diamond on her finger. "Danny, you remember Marco?"</p><p>"Yeah, Marco Balducci?" His accent became significantly thicker as he spoke the name and Mindy rolled her eyes. "Heard he worked at the docks these days."</p><p>Christina chuckled and shook her head. "Not so much anymore. He went back to school and became a lawyer."</p><p>Danny said nothing, but Mindy noticed the twitch in his eye and the stiffness of his back. Deciding she needed to end this conversation and quick, she stood up just as the car came to a stop. Losing her balance at the sudden force, Mindy fell into Danny who luckily caught her waist and pulled her up against him. People began to shuffle out of the car, but the three remained, not yet arrived at their stop. </p><p>"You okay?" he asked, looking down at her carefully.</p><p>"Yeah. Stupid fuckin' train," Mindy grouched, clutching his coat lapel.</p><p>"I think your shoes are to blame, kid."</p><p>Mindy scoffed, momentarily forgetting Christina was still there. "Danny! You said you loved these shoes!"</p><p>"I said they looked better than the other pair you had on this morning. I said nothing about loving them. You're going to break your neck."</p><p>"Well if you weren't rushing me-"</p><p>"Rushing? I woke you up an hour early so we wouldn't be late and we still barely made the train!"</p><p>"I had to paint my nails, Danny. I cannot wear a green sweater with orange nails."</p><p>Instead of continuing the argument, Danny rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to his ex who was looking at them in what could only be described as shocked amusement. "What?" he asked.</p><p>"Wow," Christina smiled, still looking between them. "I mean, I can't say I'm surprised after all the letters you sent her while she was in Haiti, but I never actually expected you two to become a couple."</p><p>"Couple?"</p><p>"<em>Haiti</em>?"</p><p>Danny let the idea flash in his head and quickly recovered, pulling Mindy even closer. "Yes, couple. Um, we're engaged actually."</p><p>Mindy whipped her head in his direction and glared at his profile, but he refused to pay her any attention, keeping his eyes on Christina's reaction.</p><p>"That's great!" Christina said with an obviously fake smile.</p><p>"Yeah, I proposed to her at the top of the Empire State Building." Danny quickly dug Mindy's phone out of his pocket and unlocked the passcode, going to the gallery. He swiped through the insane amount of selfies and stopped momentarily at a photo of him sleeping in her bed. "When the hell-"</p><p>"The pictures, Danny!" Mindy exclaimed, snatching the phone from him and continued swiping until she found the staged photos of him 'proposing' to her. "Here they are."</p><p>Christina peered at the phone politely and nodded as she bit her lip. "Wow, how romantic." She handed the phone back to Mindy who pocketed it quickly before Danny could take it away again. "Well, we should all get dinner! It would be fun. Danny you and Marco can catch up and Mindy and I can have girl talk about the wedding."</p><p>"Oh, I don't know about-" Mindy began to say, but Danny quickly cut her off.</p><p>"That sounds great, Christina. How's Friday?" He squeezed Mindy tightly to his side, hoping she would get the hint and not say anything.</p><p>"Friday should be fine," Christina smiled. "Louisa's on 6th sound okay?"</p><p>"Perfect."</p><p>The subway came to her stop and she turned to walk out. "I'll see you guys at 7!" </p><p>Once she was out of sight, Danny dropped his arm and plopped back into his seat just before the train started moving again. He rubbed a hand down his face and sighed, his eyes on his shoes. Mindy glared at him and swiftly kicked the toe of her shoe into his shin.</p><p>"Ow! God, Mindy, what the hell?!" He exclaimed, rubbing his leg up and down to ease the pain.</p><p>"Hey buddy, what was that all about?" she cried. "I'm supposed to going on a date Friday with Sam!"</p><p>Danny grabbed her wrist and tugged her until she was back in her seat beside him. "I'm sorry, I forgot about your date. Can't you reschedule? You owe me after Casey's wedding."</p><p>Mindy was going to argue further, but huffed out a sigh instead. "Fine, I'll see if we can change it to Saturday night."</p><p>"Thank you, Min." He leaned down and pecked her mouth appreciatively before wrapping his arms around her shoulders.</p>
<hr/><p>Since the restaurant wasn't too far from Danny's apartment, they decided to walk the three blocks there. What they didn't count on was Mindy rolling her ankle as she stepped off the sidewalk and almost faceplanting into the wet pavement. Not wanting to start another fight before dinner, Danny scooped her up as she cursed the curb and held her bridal-style without breaking his stride. She protested him carrying her, but he told her he would put her down once they reached the restaurant so he could check her ankle.</p><p>"Does it hurt badly?"</p><p>Mindy shook her head, a permanent pout still on her ruby colored lips. "I think I'm more pissed that I scuffed my new Jimmy Choo's."</p><p>Danny set her down just outside the restaurant door and crouched in front of her, lifting her injured foot so he could press his fingers into it and check for swelling or pain. </p><p>"I think you'll be fine," he told her, standing back up. </p><p>"You're not going to lecture me about my shoe choice?" she asked softly, looking up at him with puppy-dog eyes.</p><p>Danny sighed and placed his hand on the back of her neck so he could kiss her hair. "Not until after dinner."</p><p>They walked inside and were informed by the hostess that Christina and Marco were waiting for them already before she led them back to their table. They exchanged pleasantries with the already seated couple, introducing Marco and Mindy to each other before the waiter came by and took Danny and Mindy's drink orders. </p><p>"So," Christina started once they were alone again. "How was everyone's day?"</p><p>Danny shrugged, glancing over at Mindy who was perusing the menu. "It was good, kinda slow for me. No deliveries or surgeries on my schedule, but Mindy had quite a day."</p><p>"Ugh, don't remind me," Mindy moaned, closing her menu. "Two scheduled c-sections and an emergency hysterectomy, all between my already scheduled appointments. Oh!" She smacked Danny's arm to get his attention as if it wasn't already on her. "Mrs. Galloway said to thank you for the cannoli recipe. She said it tastes just like her grandmother's."</p><p>Danny shrugged in nonchalance, but then caught the look on Mindy's face. "What?"</p><p>"You never made me cannoli's," she deadpanned.</p><p>"Oh they're delicious," Christina chimed in. "Annette's recipe supersedes all others."</p><p>"Annette?" Mindy tilted her head in confusion and Danny cleared his throat.</p><p>"Yeah," Christina matched her expression. "Danny's mom?"</p><p>Mindy's mouth opened and then closed before she sat up ramrod straight, remembering her role beside Danny. "Yes! Annette Castellano! Danny's mom. My future mother-in-law. She loves me! Says I'm the best girlfriend Danny's ever had." Her eyes widened when she realized what she said and she started to back-peddle. "Not that she didn't love you. She totally loved you. Well, until you cheated on Danny. Then I'm not sure how she felt, but I would have been pretty pissed-"</p><p>"Okay," Danny exclaimed, cutting off her rambling. "Waiter? I think we're ready to order?"</p><p>The waiter came by and took their orders, Mindy's face hot with embarrassment as she mumbled hers quietly. Once the waiter was gone again, Marco leaned his elbows on the table, his eyes locked on Danny.</p><p>"So Dan," he started, his Staten accent slightly thicker than Danny's. "How's things since high school? Christina says you're a doctor now."</p><p>Danny narrowed his eyes at the man, setting his jaw. "Yeah, I got a late start, but I put myself through school and am now a partner at Shulman and Associates."</p><p>"Good for you," the man said with a smile. "Us boys always knew you'd get off the island and make something of yourself. We were surprised to hear about your time at the strip club, though."</p><p>Mindy had chosen that moment to take a sip of wine and nearly choked to death when it went up her nose. She coughed, accepting the cloth napkin from Christina as she cleaned herself up and looked back and forth between Danny and Marco. </p><p>"I'm sorry, the what?" she asked, her voice raspy.</p><p>"Yeah, Danny here used to strip back in the day," Marco continued. "He started his senior year at high school, had a fake ID and everything. Made some pretty big bucks, I heard."</p><p>"Marco," Christina said quietly, gripping his bicep. "This isn't really appropriate dinner conversation."</p><p>"Sure it is, C. We're just catching up, ain't we, Dan?"</p><p>Mindy stared at Danny, expecting some sort of outburst, but was shocked to see his eyes downcast and his shoulder's more tense than ever. She reached over and placed her hand on his thigh, squeezing it lightly to gain his attention. He kept his eyes down and shook his head and Mindy's heart broke for him. </p><p>"Oh shoot!" she exclaimed suddenly, whipping her phone out of her purse. "I, um, I got a patient in labor." She stood up from the table and practically yanked Danny out of his chair. "So sorry, guys. We gotta go."</p><p>"Oh, that's okay." Christina actually looked contrite about the way dinner was ending. "Well, maybe we can reschedule for another time?"</p><p>"Yeah, sure," Mindy said absently as she pushed her chair in, grabbing her purse. "We'll call you." She quickly grabbed Danny's hand and dragged him out of the restaurant, not even bothering to put on her coat. </p><p>Once they were outside, Danny dropped her hand and wordlessly started walking in the direction of his apartment. Mindy quickly followed, hobbling slightly as she tried to catch up with him. She could see his walls building behind his eyes and knew he was about to shut her out at the table so she quickly took action and feigned a cry of pain.</p><p>"Danny!"</p><p>Danny spun around quickly and made his way back to her as she leaned against the nearest building. "What's wrong? Is it your ankle?"</p><p>"Yes, it hurts." She lifted the leg in question up and Danny eyed her suspiciously. She wrapped her arms around his neck so he couldn't go anywhere without her and smiled into his collar when he lifted her feet off the ground again. </p><p>As Danny carried her down the few blocks to his apartment, Mindy felt his shoulders gradually relax and hoped this meant she could get him to talk to her once they arrived. </p><p>"You know it was your other ankle that you injured right?" Danny said finally. </p><p>Mindy hid a smirk in his shoulder. </p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. You're The Only Friend I Need</h2></a>
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    <p>Mindy entered Danny's bedroom after taking off her makeup and changing into the pair of shorts and his sweatshirt that she was wearing before they left for dinner. A faint smell of smoke was lingering in the room and she sighed, knowing Danny snuck a cigarette while she was in the bathroom. She found him still sitting on the window sill, the cool breeze of the night drifting through the open window. He looked up at her as she approached, an embarrassed gaze meeting her warm one.</p><p>She reached out, her palm cupping his jaw and her thumb grazing the stubble on his cheek. "You don't have to tell me anything, you know. But I also want you to know I won't think less of you because you have a few secrets you're not proud of."</p><p>Danny reached up and grabbed her wrist, turning his face so his lips pressed a kiss to her palm and then drew her towards him. Mindy wrapped her arms around his shoulders as Danny placed his ear against her breast, searching for and finding her heart beat. As the steady rhythm pounded in his ear, he felt his body relax, a deep sigh falling from his lips as he held her around her waist. </p><p>"When I was in college, I used to be a stripper named Diamond Dan. It helped pay for my tuition and I used the savings to pay off my mom's mortgage."</p><p>Mindy ran her fingers through his hair, pushing the dark curls back from his forehead so she could kiss his forehead. "Did Christina know?"</p><p>He tilted his head up to look at her, his chin resting against her sternum. "When she found out we had a huge fight. I had already been doing it for years, but she didn't find out until a few months into our marriage. She left me for a little while, staying with her parents in Jersey for a few weeks until she finally came back and apologized for overreacting."</p><p>"Did she think you were cheating on her or something?"</p><p>"No, she..." he let out a soft, humorless chuckle. "She was pissed because I had money from stripping that I didn't put toward our wedding. Not that we needed it, her dad ran a hedge fund in Tokyo, but she thought I should have contributed more or at least offered to."</p><p>"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."</p><p>A genuine smile broke out his face. "It seemed pretty serious at the time, I guess. It was probably the start of our trust issues."</p><p>"Well, I wouldn't have reacted like that," she pouted, squeezing his shoulder. "I probably would have been mad at you for a few hours and then demand you do one of your routines for me. And then we'd have hours and hours of mind blowing sex..." </p><p>Both of their faces heated up as Mindy's words sunk in. Hers more with embarrassment and his with intrigue. "You think we would have mind blowing sex?" he asked softly, pulling slightly away from her to stare into her brown eyes.</p><p>Mindy bit her bottom lip nervously. "Well, honestly, any guy that stripped for me would make me think we would have mind blowing sex afterwards."</p><p>He kept his gaze locked on hers as he slowly moved his hands from around her waist to the hem of her sweatshirt, his fingers slipping beneath it to graze the soft skin at the small of her back. He felt goosebumps arise on her skin and watched as her eyes darkened, her lips parted with a silent gasp. "So you've never thought about it?" he whispered. </p><p>Mindy licked her lips, watching his face as it seemed to draw closer and closer. "Thought about what?" Heat was pulling between her legs and her hands were practically shaking as she gripped his shoulders. </p><p>Danny's lips twitched up into a half-grin, his eyes black with desire. "Thought about us." He kissed her chin. "Me and you." His kissed her cheek, watching her eyes flutter. "Having sex." His mouth brushed hers, not putting pressure on her, but instead just breathing together.</p><p>Mindy bit back a whine and boldly flicked her tongue out to taste his top lip. Danny opened his mouth a little bit more and slid his tongue out to brush hers, their lips still barely touching. Unable to take the teasing anymore, Mindy crushed her mouth to his, her nails digging into his shoulders and a moan vibrating between them. Danny slid his hands down over her ass to the back of her smooth thighs and then up again, the pads of his fingers brushing under the hem of her shorts. As they continued to kiss languid, but passionately, Danny's hands caressed and gripped at her legs, waist, her ass, before trailing to the waistband of her shorts. </p><p>He pulled away from her, their breaths coming out in heavy pants and silently asked permission. Mindy nodded, her bottom lip caught between her teeth and Danny hooked his thumbs in the elastic band, tugging the material down along with her underwear until they fell to her feet. He lifted her shirt up, to reveal her stomach and began pressing kisses to her skin, moving along her pelvis and her hip bones. He could smell her arousal and his pants tightened even more, his mouth salivating with the need to taste her.</p><p>He palmed her ass, squeezing her cheeks and massaging the flesh between his fingers. He dipped his head down and flicked his tongue over her bare cleft, grinning when Mindy parted her legs for him and sighed. He glanced up at her to see her head tossed back, her long hair trickling down her back and a serene expression over her face. Her hands held his head to her and he felt her lightly grip his hair with impatience so he ducked his head further down and slid his tongue between her folds, finding her already throbbing and erect clit.</p><p>Mindy gasped her knees slightly buckling at the sensation of his tongue tracing over her, her heart racing. She was dripping for him and was already so close to the edge at his slightest touch. When Danny slid from the window sill to his knees in front of her and lifted one of her legs to drape over her shoulder, Mindy knew she was a goner. His tongue delved into her twice before he licked a stripe up and then his lips latched onto her clit, the tip of his tongue swirling expertly over the nub. Mindy cried out, her orgasm rippling through her body. Danny continue to suckle at her, drinking her in and moaning at her taste.</p><p>He eventually lowered her leg back to the ground and detached his lips from her with a small sound of suction that made his cock twitch. Mindy was breathing heavily, her face flushed and skin sheen with perspiration. She opened her eyes slowly, feeling another wave of arousal surge through her when she saw his chin and swollen lips glistening with her release. Her thumb brushed over his mouth, gathering the wetness on her digit and she brought it to her lips, flicking her tongue out to lick it off sensually.</p><p>Danny growled, his fingers digging into her ass hard enough to leave bruises. He stood up, yanking her sweatshirt up as he went and Mindy lifted her arms so he could pull it all the way off her. With her body now bare to him, Danny grabbed the back of her legs and lifted her up, his mouth crushing hers as she wrapped her arms and legs around him. He carried her to his bed, dropping her down upon the neatly made mattress and both of them worked quickly to rid him of his clothes until he was just as naked as she, their bodies flush together and their kisses becoming more and more desperate. </p><p>"Oh God, Danny," Mindy whimpered. His mouth was wreaking havoc on her breasts and she could feel his dick, thick and hard against her leg. She hooked a leg over his hip, her heel digging into his ass. "Please..."</p><p>Danny lifted himself slightly away from her, kissing her hard before grabbing himself in hand and pushing in. He felt her shudder beneath him and he dropped his head to her neck, squeezing his eyes shut as she squeezed him between her legs. He pulled back, the feeling of her slick heat sliding over his cock making his head spin, and then drove back in, making Mindy groan. She rolled her hips up against his as he moved, meeting him thrust for thrust as he moved faster. Her nails clawed at his back, incoherent mumbles of pleasure falling from her lips.</p><p>"I'm gonna cum, Danny," she breathed out, her muscles tightening with the first waves. "Fuck, I'm gonna cum so hard!"</p><p>Danny lifted his head, feeling it where they were joined and locked his eyes on her face as the pleasure peaked and her eyes rolled back, her mouth open in a silent scream. He pounded into her harder, not letting the rhythmic clenching of her walls bring him to his own release. Mindy finally drew in a harsh breath, air violently filling her lungs again and her eyes popped open to stare at him as she let out the sexiest moan Danny ever heard emitted from a woman. He could feel her release splashing between their bodies and the look of complete adoration on her face was the final straw that broke him. </p><p>He cried out, his face falling to her neck again, his own body spasming as he came hard inside her, his hips jerking one last time before he collapsed. Mindy hummed beneath him, her hands rubbing up and down his sweaty back. She kept her legs around him, holding him to her as he softened and she kissed the top of his head. Danny panted into her collarbone for a few moments and then lifted his head to peer at her satisfied grin and shining eyes.</p><p>"I might have thought about it, once or twice," she told him.</p><p>He only chuckled in response.</p>
<hr/><p>Mindy woke up the next morning with a smile on her face, her body aching as if she had sex three times the night before...which she did. Danny wasn't beside her so she sat up, arching her back to loosen some stiffness from her muscles and yawned. There was an unyielding, yet pleasant twinge between her legs as she walked around the bedroom to grab Danny's sweatshirt, pulling it over her head to hide her nude torso. Opting out of putting her more than likely useless underwear back on. she slid her sleep shorts up her legs and then padded out of the bedroom.</p><p>Danny was standing at the stove wearing a pair of pajama pants that hung low on his hips, his muscled back bare as he cooked. Mindy slowly walked up behind him, sliding her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his back. Danny only stiffened for a second, surprised by her silent arrival, and then he relaxed easily. Mindy kissed his shoulder blades and Danny turned in her embrace, leaning down to kiss her awaiting lips.</p><p>"Morning," she mumbled.</p><p>"Good morning, gorgeous." </p><p>They shared a few more lazy morning kisses and then Mindy stepped away, peering around him to see what he was cooking. "Ooh, french toast, eggs, bacon, and hashbrowns! You must really love me, Castellano."</p><p>Danny smiled shyly, still looking down at her. "Yeah."</p><p>Mindy was confused by his dreamy look until she repeated her words back to herself and her eyes widened. She did not mean to bring up love at all, it just slipped out, but Danny didn't look like he was afraid of what he admitted so she trying to calm her racing heart. "Really?" </p><p>"Yeah, is that okay?" He started to feel unsure of himself, thinking he was moving too fast for her, but what was fast? They've known each other for years, they've been best friends for almost a full year now, and he knew he loved her. He hoped he interpreted her signals correctly and that she loved him back, but her silence was starting to fill him with doubt.</p><p>Finally, after a long minute of staring at each other, Mindy smirked and then brought his face down to her so she could kiss him. "Of course it's okay, you big dummy. I love you, too."</p><p>They kissed again, Mindy moaning into his mouth and Danny's hands gliding over her ass. They got distracted for one minute too long and pretty soon, Mindy smelled something unpleasant in the air.</p><p>"Danny, what's that-"</p><p>"Shit, the eggs!" Danny sprang apart from her and whipped around to take the ruined eggs off the burner. He sighed, his hands on his hips as Mindy giggled behind him. </p><p> </p>
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